Popular among tourists on the hunt for the next abandoned stretch of sunny beaches, the region of Algarve in the south of Portugal has maintained an ancient craftsmanship, frugal and healthy gastronomy, and plenty of other secrets to explore.
Among these is the hammam recently inaugurated at the Companhia das Culturas, an eco-sustainable hotel near Faro.
Caressed by a warm, salty wind and the sight of salicornia — the traditional succulent of the Mediterranean also known as picklegrass — swaying under the elements, São Bartolomeu is the perfect location for a little bit of R&R. Situated on the top of a small hill dotted with maritime pines, cork oaks, and shrubs of thyme, you’ll find a collection of carobs and figs to be collected around the Companhia das Culturas. Founded ten years ago by anthropologist and curator Eglantina Monteiro together with writer and gourmet businessman Francisco Palma Dias, the structure has only grown sweeter with age.
Belonging to the Palma Dias family for over five generations, the agricultural farmstead has been gradually renovated thanks to the careful intervention of Portuguese architect Pedro Ressano Garcia.
The project, respecting the existing structure, embraced the principles of a vernacular architecture here in the region of Algarve, which help keep the hot summers at bay. The humble elegance of the buildings is echoed in their interiors between common areas, including a restaurant and a small library curated with an attention to detail by the owners. Similarly, the spacious suites are treated with care, opening on small private courtyards or a Mediterranean garden and decorated with timeless vintage furnishings.
Two years ago, the farmstead’s garage was transformed into a space dedicated to yoga and meditation. The large hall better known as the “Cork Box”, flaunts walls covered in Portuguese cork: a spectacular natural material to soundproof the relaxing and scented space.
At the center of it all, wellness is key to the Companhia das Culturas since the very beginning. In the kitchen, healthy and local ingredients are transformed into flavorful dishes, while the outside saltwater pool is perfect for relaxation. To offer more for guests, the owners began to study the ancient Mediterranean tradition of Arab baths in order to build their very own hammam.
With iconic, curved lines, the bath opened last year thanks to Ressano Garcia. The spaces are enriched with locally recycled materials: wardrobes are made with old gas tubes, wheat sacks were sewn together to make the curtains, and traditional copper containers to pour water were substituted with cork vessels.
The steam room — the fulcrum of the hammam experience — was carved in white marble from Vila Viçosa, a town in the southeast of Portugal. Extra care was also taken to select essential oils, locally produced of course, to use in the relax and massage areas.
The great care taken in selecting local eco-sustainable ingredients and materials exemplifies Companhia das Culturas dedication to support the cultural landscape as well as the fragile regional eco-systems of Algarve. This care has also been extended to the ancient ritual of the hammam, a practice once commonly practiced throughout the entire Iberian peninsula.
in opening "PART OF THE HAMMAM AT THE COMPANHIA DAS CULTURAS."
